A few light bulbs got brighter for the Eagles scouting staff at the Combine over the weekend….
No doubt Blasphemizer's boy Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee) opened some eyes… No way you draft a wideout in the first round if you're the Eagles, but package a trade-back deal here and there, or get lucky in a later round, and I could see Patterson in midnight (or Kelly) green…
Gamedayr.com felt the same way. They produced a little ditty on Patterson's workout, along with the rest of the class of 2013 at the Combine, which resonates with the Eagles scouting ambitions:
"Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson showed why his dynamic physical skill set has him as the No. 1-rated receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2, 216-pounder’s official time in the 40-yard dash came in at a sterling 4.42 seconds. Patterson had some dropped passes in the field work, and unfortunately, those were a problem for him last season as well. During the gauntlet drill, he showed the potential to make nice catches with his hands as opposed to his body, but the early-entry wideout clearly needs a lot of work. At one point, Patterson even dropped a perfectly thrown bomb deep downfield. The Combine proved that his athletic skill set is off the charts, but he is still very raw and will need some patience to improve his all-around receiving ability."
What all of that means is Patterson screwed up just enough that he could fall to the Eagles in rounds 2 or 3. And that would be like finding a diamond in the garbage disposal unit. This kid is the real deal. He has unlimited potential. Even he doesn't know yet how good he can be when he matures physically and emotionally.
Other wide receiver results:
"West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin was expected to be fast, but he exceeded expectations with a 40-yard dash unofficial time of 4.25 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.45. The official time came in at 4.34 seconds and tied him for second. Austin was very good in the field drills, too. He ran good routes and displayed nice hands. Austin confirmed for NFL scouts that he has elite speed and looks poised to remain a source of splash plays in the NFL."
"Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was the only player faster than Austin in Indy. Goodwin didn’t get a lot of passes thrown his way in college, but he stood out with a good performance at the Senior Bowl. The 5-foot-9, 183-pounder kept the momentum going with an impressive Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash with an official time of 4.25 seconds and a 10-yard split of 1.43 seconds. Goodwin’s 40 time was expected to be great, as he is an Olympic track athlete and his goal coming in was to break Chris Johnson’s Combine record of 4.24 seconds. He was close enough, but Goodwin did have some struggles in tracking and catching passes in the on-field drills. That dampens the enthusiasm from his 40 time, so Goodwin may not get a huge boost from the Combine."
"Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (6-1, 214) had a solid Combine performance. He ran the 40-yard dash with an unofficial time of 4.50 seconds but recorded an underwhelming 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds. In the field drills, however, Hopkins was one of the most impressive receivers out there, showing off great route-running and hands. Those were the traits that made him extremely productive in 2012, and he did his part in Indianapolis to confirm his grade as a top-60 selection."
"Like Hopkins, West Virginia wide receiver Stedman Bailey ran a decent 40-yard dash but thrived in the field drills. He was massively productive for the Mountaineers because of great hands, route-running and quickness. At the Combine, Bailey was very fluid running downfield and did a perfect job of catching passes with his hands. He unofficially ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.58 seconds. Bailey’s quality Combine should lock him into a selection within the top-100 picks."
Other possible Eagles targets:
Patteron’s teammate at Tennessee, wide receiver Justin Hunter helped himself with a good time in the 40-yard dash. He was a fast and explosive receiver before an ACL tear required him to miss out on nearly the entire 2011 season. Hunter was productive in 2012 and gradually seemed to be getting his speed back. He ran the 40 in 4.41 seconds at the Combine, with a nice 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds. It was the fifth-fastest 10-yard split of the receivers in his group. Considering the 6-foot-4, 196-pounder is much bigger than a lot of those receivers, it was a good showing. Hunter had some struggles in the field drills with his route-running, however, but coaches will see that issue as more correctable.
One of the surprising players to stand out at receiver was Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope. The 6-foot, 205-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in an official time of 4.34 seconds. That tied with Tavon Austin for the second-fastest time in the group. The Aggies’ all-time receiving leader ran good routes in the field drills and displayed that quickness and speed. He had a couple of dropped passes, but he can rectify that in the NFL. It was a superb Combine overall and it really helped Swope stand out from the crowd.
While a lot of receivers didn’t stand out in the field work, USC’s Robert Woods was one of the exceptions. He showed off nice hands, especially in the gauntlet. Woods ran even better than most expected in the 40-yard dash with an unofficial time of 4.44 seconds. It was especially important for him to run well considering the ankle injury he was dealing with throughout the 2012 season. Woods (6-0, 201) needed a good Combine to help ensure that he is a second-round pick. Im still not sold on Woods as a No. 1 wideout, but his showing today was essential for him going forward.
Baylor’s Terrance Williams needed a good Combine after a quiet Senior Bowl, and he came through with a solid overall performance. Williams (6-2, 208) turned in an unofficial time of 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which was a touch faster than most had expected. He also had a good 10-yard split of 1.52 seconds. Williams performed well in the field work as well. He led the nation in receiving yards in 2012 and made big plays downfield, translating the 4.4-speed into actual on-field performance..
Finally, Markus Wheaton of Oregon State ran well with a 40 time of 4.45 seconds officially. It was a top-10 time, but he had a few drops in the gauntlet drill, including an ugly one on an out route. Wheaton (5-11, 189) has a bad habit of letting the ball get into his body and that leads to the drops. He is likely to go on the second day.
THE QUARTERBACKS…
The top quarterback heading into the 2013 NFL Draft is West Virginia’s Geno Smith, and he backed that up with a good showing at the Combine. Smith led all quarterbacks with a 4.59-second run in the 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder threw the ball extremely well as the players went through the field work. He had some great throws on deep balls downfield. Smith showed excellent accuracy and a strong arm to drive the ball into the deep part of the field. Overall, it was a good Combine performance to keep Smith as the top-ranked quarterback.
Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray has been a forgotten prospect by pundits when discussing the much-maligned 2013 quarterback class. The 6-foot-6, 232-pounder had an up-and-down career for the Volunteers, to say the least. However, at the Combine, Bray had some beautiful throws down the deep part of the field; the ball came out well with a quick, natural release. He also threw some bullets on the always difficult deep out route. Some of Bray’s throws were off the mark, which confirmed both his inconsistency and his great physical skill set.
N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon had a day similar to Bray. Glennon (6-7, 225) showed off his big arm with some fabulous throws down the field. However, he would follow a great throw with one well off target. Glennon struggled with his accuracy in college, but that is going to be a critical part of his game for him and he must improve significantly in order to be a quality starting quarterback in the NFL. He didn’t help or hurt himself at the Combine.
Another quarterback with big size and a strong arm is Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. Unlike Glennon, Manuel has some mobility and can make plays with his feet. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds — the second-fastest time for the quarterbacks. Manuel (6-5, 237) made some good throws in the field work with plenty of arm strength to push the ball down the field. His stock is rising, and this quality Combine performance will help that climb.
Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones didn’t impress at the Combine, but didn’t look especially bad either. Jones (6-4, 225) is a pocket passer who isn’t suited to the Combine. Simply put, the record setter did not do enough in Indianapolis to help his draft stock. Jones looks like a mid- to late-rounder.
Two other quarterbacks are worth mentioning. Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib (6-2, 227) ran the 40 in 5.06 seconds, while Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson (6-2, 215) was clocked at 4.95 seconds. Nassib had some good throws during the field work, but Wilson didn’t look special. Neither quarterback had an impressive Combine performance to help himself on the field, but each one has the ability to do well in the interview room.
And The “Not So Smart Player Award” Goes To …
Despite the requests of NFL scouts, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein declined to work out as a tight end. That was a mistake. Klein’s passing is not NFL-caliber, and he may not get drafted as a quarterback. The 6-foot-5, 226-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds. That is roughly around average for a tight end, but Klein made a mistake in not fulfilling the requests of the coaches and scouts.
TIGHT END PROSPECTS
Going into the season the tight end class was highlighted by Notre Dame big man Tyler Eifert. The All-American was a bit one-dimensional as a pass catcher but has since been shown to be a good blocker as well. It was a one horse race and then Stanford’s Zach Ertz, San Diego States Gavin Escobar and Rice’s Vance McDonald emerged.
Here are Fred Purdue's (Gamedayr.com) impressions of which tight ends balled out and who were busts on Saturday:
Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame —The Notre Dame product ran better than expected and looked very athletic in the other drills. Of the top tight ends, Eifert made the case to be the first selected. Eifert was second in the broad jump (9-foot-11) and blazed a 40 time of 4.60 seconds, unofficially. In the field drills, Eifert continued to impress with his athletic route-running and natural hands catching in the gauntlet drill. The Combine turned out to be an event that helped Eifert to differentiate himself from the other highly rated tight ends.
Vance McDonald, Rice—Rice’s Vance McDonald (6-foot-4, 267) ran well for a bigger tight end. His 40 time came in at 4.69 seconds. He led the tight ends on the bench press with 31 reps a day earlier and did well in the fieldwork. McDonald helped himself to stand out in the middle of the pack.
Zach Ertz, Stanford—Stanford tight end Zach Ertz had a decent day. He didn’t significantly help or hurt himself. Ertz timed 4.76 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He did have a faster 10-yard split, at 1.62, than Eifert. In the fieldwork, Ertz ran good routes and made a nice over-the-shoulder catch on a pass deep downfield. Ertz should improve on his 40 at this pro day. He looks solid as the second-rated tight end.
Gavin Escobar, San Diego State—The consensus third-rated tight end, San Diego State’s Gavin Escobar, had a disappointing time in the 40-yard dash. His time of 4.84 seconds was slower than expected. Escobar did better in the field drills and showed great hands in the gauntlet drill. The Combine work didn’t help Escobar to make the case that he should be drafted ahead of Eifert or Ertz.
Arkansas tight end Chris Gragg (6-3, 244) was a Combine superstar on Saturday. Gragg ran the 40-yard dash time in 4.5 seconds officially with a 10-yard split of 1.53 seconds. Both of those times were the fastest of any of the tight ends. He also led the tight ends in the vertical jump (37.5 inches). Gragg showed his athletic ability with his receiving production in college. Injuries were one of the issues that held him back and thus his Combine physical could be as, if not more, important than his on-field performance. That being said, Gragg definitely made the most of his opportunity to make teams notice him. The one question with Gragg is his durability and what he doesn’t offer as a blocker, which could limit his snaps. I won’t discount his workouts but I will need to see more from Gragg on film and see him stay healthy.
Levine Toilolo, Stanford—Stanford tight end Levine Toilolo had a bad showing at the Combine. The 6-foot-8, 260-pounder, simply put, did not run fast with a 40 time of 4.86 seconds. Toilolo also did poorly in the bench press with only 17 reps. Toilolo needs to improve his run blocking. It looks like his height may be his only asset for the NFL.
Final order of business— let's update the career power numbers of our phan posters, so I can finally throw away my little black book and get digital with it……
Every year at this time I update the Home Run ("First") career totals:
Brizer……………564
DDD……………..334
JB99……………..142
ATV………………..111
Brozer (Hox)……..74
Jerky……………….. 78
French Lady Fan…70
Hoser……………….57
Somalia…………..56
Boner………….56
BG93…………..46
Kenemeka…..44
Fields…………..42
Hud Huston…40
Eagle Nut…….40
PPW…………….39
Kent Phil………37
Beanstalk……..36
Blasphemizer…33
Dutch Rubb……28
Dr. Funt………….23 (includes Green Eags & Bam)
Leo Pizzini……..20
BirdCrazy……….19
Poet……………….18
Palm Feathers..18
Don Pardo……..16
Abe Linc………..16
Lupes…………….14
Hedge…………….14
Go-Green……….12
Cunningham…..10
Fanny Harris…….9
Sunbutts…………..9
Italicon……………..8
Ignots……………….8
It'sAYoungEarth….8
MateEagle2………8
Spiffo……………….7
Genetic Freak….6
J. Wood……………5
South Philly Ben…5
Dat Guy……………..5
DisgustedFan……5
Hudson Hawk……5
Cook………………..5
Harry Pianos…….4
Leyden……………4
Mr. Kraxx………….4
J. Trent……………3
Padre Brio……….3
Freight Train……3
B. Quick…………..3
USMC Batsy……..3
Bruzer9.5………….3
C5 Alumni………..3
CouldCareLess….2
Luke………………….2
AFRA…………………2
Joe Mas…………….2
Kent Dave………..2
Drew…………………2
Tommy J……………1
SunbuttsLifePartner…1
Briny Tim……………..1
J.C.C……………………1
700Forever………..1
These stats date back to 2004. There are about a hundred more names with at least 1 career HR who are no longer active posters. If I have omitted a name who is still active, or if your name belongs on this list, please give me a heads up next time you see me here.
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